Strange Surroundings
by zhoubendan
Summary: Link stumbles upon a wreck in the extreme southeast of Termina. Little does he know that his discovery will change his life and outlook on it forever, and bring him to quite strange surroundings... Updated with History!
1. Strange Goings On

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda series of games, which are copyright Nintendo. All characters and descriptions not copyrighted belong to me.

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I – Strange Goings On

It had been another day of wandering, nearly lost in the expanses of Termina. Link estimated that he was somewhere south and east of Ikana Valley, and had yet to find any civilization beyond a farming village or two. He suspected that he would find a trade town nearby where he could buy a nap and sleep in a decent bed, for once.

A flash caught his eye. However, it was just another of those blasted monkeys, the kind that you might see being used as entertainment in Clock Town. But something else caught his eye through the dense canopy of trees. Could it be a clearing? Link urged Epona on with a little more force, breaking her into a canter.

Coming upon the massive clearing, Link held his breath. In the clearing clearly lied the remains of large town, perhaps half again as large as the capital of Termina. In the center of the town was an enormous gouge, leading up to a large, metal shape. This would be the trade town he was looking for, except there was no trace of people among the ruins. The Hero of Time decided to look and see if he could find any supplies, and also to see what had hit the town.

Guiding Epona through the debris-strewn streets, Link spotted what seemed to be the exit point of an aqueduct. Knowing that this was potentially a source of clean water, he headed over to ascertain if it was as he suspected.

The aqueduct's main distribution point, it seemed, was hit by the metal thing. There would be no water for him and Epona unless he found it somewhere else, but at this point a question lurked into his mind. Perhaps the angled, charred chunk of metal would hold his answers?

Link had to leave Epona's back and walk on his own. To calm the great beast that was now his closest confidant, he whispered: "I will return Epona, wait here for me, alright?" The horse affirmed his order, and relaxed her bearing.

Climbing through the trail of the "Object," as Link had begun to refer to it in his mind, was no easy task. Occasionally the entire gouge would be blocked off by a fallen structure, and he would have to entirely bypass it. Soon, he was within sight of the large metal object. It completely dwarfed his view, seeming to be about half a half a kilometer long, and completely made of a light gray metal, and scorch marks through out the superstructure. Link searched for some kind of opening where he could enter the blasted thing, but found none. He did find script running across the thing lengthwise, although it was unintelligible.

The Savior of Termina decided to turn and find some kind of clean bed for him to sleep in, but was stopped by a strange and garbled sound coming from the general direction of the Object. "You…Turn…Stay…Questions…You…" This confused Link, but he turned around anyway.

A device Link now identified as a hatch opened on the Object, and a crippled figure pulled itself out of it.

The figure pulled out a blunt, curved stick, and balanced his self on the edge of the hatch. Perhaps the stick was like the funny hand cannon things he had seen in Clock Town. "Sorry…, but I…Orders…detain..."

Link quickly thought, "What is the meaning of 'detain?' Oh… I – I need to move." And with that, Link dove out of the way seconds before the rounds pierced the ground before him. The stick hurled some sort of strange, tiny arrows! Quickly continuing to run, Link knew that his attacker would decide to aim ahead of his path sooner or later. Taking action, Link reached into his bag and pulled out his slingshot – the Hero's bow would take too much time to reload. He cursed himself for only keeping his sword out, as he did not think he would be fighting an opponent with that kind of weapon.

Link had to throw the boomerang, or get shot in the process. Carefully aiming, he hurled his pointy stick at the man, who had pointy ears. "Hold on," Link thought, "He has pointy ears? Could it be that he is a Hylian?" Link decided to take precious time necessary to shout a question.

"Are you a Hylian?"

His opponent replied in a partly incomprehensible language. "No, I…A…"

Link gave up the effort, and resumed trying to dodge the incredibly fast arrows. Unbeknownst to the aggressor, a sharp bladed boomerang was on its way, and impacted him in the chest. The man fell, but the wound was not mortal, and Link now had time to inspect the opened hatch and the depths of the Object.

Using the boomerang and his sword (sadly, not the gilded sword; he had grown too tall for that), he inched up the surface of the metal. His makeshift climbing tools did not penetrate the metal, so Link had to find existing gaps and force them open. After about six meters, he reached the hatch. He pulled himself in, silently hoping that he would not find any more people, especially hostile ones.

Inside, Link found a fairly spacious and well lit corridor. He marveled at the lights, wondering where the gas piping was; even the Terminians didn't have artificial lights that small! He walked through the hallway until he reached a door. To his surprise, it slid open with a soft hiss. He walked through the cramped room, and saw a place to sit down. He was tired, after all, and exploring the object could wait a moment.

"System activated… Shakedown…" A light female voice spoke in that funny, altered hylian again, Link noticed to his amazement. Where did it come from?

Link tried to communicate with the funny, but oddly soothing voice. "Where are you? What is a shaking down?"

The voice responded. "Ancient Hylian language recognized… Processing utilizing known quantities of the language… Good day, sir. I am the voice operating system of this Hyrulian Navy ship. The shakedown procedure is currently warming up the reactors. The wormhole generator will warm up in five seconds.

He struggled to comprehend this information. Firstly, the language he spoke was ancient to these people? A bevy of questions soon followed. Where were they from? How was this metal block thing a ship? Hyrule has a navy? What is a reactor? Link put all of his questions into speech, and the machine responded smartly to each.

"It has been over two thousand years since common use of Ancient Hylian. This ship is registered to Orbital Shipyard Eight of the planet Hyrule. Hyrule currently boasts of the largest naval presence in the Hasta Arm. A reactor provides electricity for use in all applications throughout the ship."

It seemed like he was living in the past, and this "ship" was from the future. Could the people of Hyrule have reached the stars in so long of a time? Before he could ask his final question, he felt a lurch. The Object was moving.

From an outside perspective, the ship slowly drifted up, lifting great gobs of dirt along with it. The man outside slowly awoke from his state of unconsciousness, and cursed when he saw the ship rising. There would be no return for him. The ship rose until it reached the atmosphere, and opened a wormhole to the last save location. The mission was complete, whether the ship's commander knew it or not.

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Author's Note: This is intended to be a somewhat short story. I have used a random Indian name for the Arm, based on the use of Rupees as currency in Zelda. There will be no crossover; tell me if you find anything that could be infringement, please! Don't hesitate to criticize as much as you want, especially on the brief fight. 


	2. A Brief History of Hyrule

Well, I was thinking of continuing my small-ish story, and decided that I would need some background while doing so. As such, this is cobbled together, and should not be taken as an example of the style that the story will be using. Enjoy! (Or not – feel free to skip this if you aren't interested in history-ish things)

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda series of games, which are copyright Nintendo. All characters and descriptions not copyrighted belong to me.

I,i – A note on Hylian history – The Beginning and Prehistory

The Goddesses Divine Nayru, Din, and Farore created Hyrule about 2.5 billion years before the time of the Hero of Time. Din created the rich, red earth; Nayru fashioned the laws that govern all things; and Farore designed flora and fauna that would utilize Din's earth under Nayru's laws. The goddesses left, never to directly meddle in Hyrule's affairs again (with one exception), and eventually most niches in all ecosystems were filled.

The ancestors of the Hylian peoples emerged circa one billion years after the creation of Hyrule. These ancestors were similar to the Zora, and displayed rudimentary use of tools, 'opposable thumbs,' lungs, and the ability to stand and walk upright on the sea floor. Soon, these ancestors developed larger brains with increased complexity and number of lobes. These proto-Zora soon emerged from the waters and established tribal communities along the shores of Lake Hylia, which had incredible biodiversity at the time, and covered approximately half of Hyrule Field in addition to its 'present' location and parts of Gerudo Valley. With the advent of fire, small towns developed which cultivated crops such as gehun, the main staple of Hyrule Field, and bajara, mainly grown in the lush Gerudo Valley.

Soon some proto-Zora tribes lost fins, gills, and other structures not necessary for survival in a relatively dry environment. These became the modern Hylian, Shiekah, Gerudo, and Terminians (The Hylians are farthest from the others, but all are still close enough to be considered one interbreeding species). From these peoples came the Gorons, specially adapted to live in mountainous environs, and the Subrosians, a curious species which inhabits caves and such deep in Hyrule's crust.

Soon the proto-Zora developed copper, bronze, and ultimately iron. The Zora were cast off as abominations from the Hylian tribes, and quickly developed methods of metal smithing underwater. These modern Zora resumed culturing of fish, and also developed a seaweed derivative crop.

The Hylians settled in the northern hills and central plains of Hyrule. Soon they developed to be the most technologically advanced of the species, with metal weapons and armor. The Terminians also were sent off from this society, although for different reasons that the Zora had been. Along the way, the Shiekah, Gerudo, and Subrosian groups deviated and started anew. Only the Terminians made it to their ultimate destination, Termina, and developed there.

The Gerudo originally developed from the Hylians as people of the rainforest of the Gerudo Valley. Their style of slash-and-burn agriculture had lead to deforestation and desertification; today there is no forest left in the region. The Shiekah, on the other hand, lived in a very similar environment to the Hylians, but stayed marginalized in the northeast corner of Hyrule Field.

The Gorons came from the proto-Zora, and also lost many vestigial structures fairly quickly. They developed rolling with rock-hard skin as a way to get around the treacherous terrain more efficiently. The Subrosians, on the other hand, emerged from the Hylians. They went underground to develop, and became known for metal production and craft.

Finally, the Kokiri children of legend, myth, and fact developed under the auspicious eye of the Great Deku Tree, who had taken in several Hylians some years prior. The oldest living Kokiri, at two and a half thousand years old, is presumed to be a daughter of one of these original Hylians.

I,ii – The Beginning of Recorded History

The Hylians were the first to develop a runic system of writing. Using sharp sticks, sometimes made of bronze or iron, complex characters were developed that represented objects, had various meanings associated with a picture, or were conglomerates of other signs. Soon there was a formal language involving the use of brushes to draw these characters for official records. From these first records, we can ascertain that the Hylians circa 2.3 billion years had an oligarchic system of government based on the worship of the Three Goddesses. Similar systems were adopted by the Zora, Shiekah, and Gerudo.

By contrast, the Terminians developed a phonetic writing system mapping out combinations of characters for letters. This was far easier than the Hylian system, and spread to the Subrosians as well. This system evolved until it was suitable for quick writing, meaning more records are available of Termina at this time than Hyrule. The Terminians still had a tribal system of government at this point, although they were starting to catch up to the Hylians in terms of society complexity.

Soon, Terminians developed steel. This and their simpler writing system allowed the Terminians to surpass the Hylians for the first time, touching off a bitter rivalry that would lead to war. Various races slowly aligned themselves with either power, and over the course of several thousand years would cause untold suffering. Scholars have since names this period the Consolidation.

I, iii – Feudalism and Development

The Terminians gradually expanded until they covered the larger western half of the Farore continent. These peoples grew increasingly fractured until several wars erupted. The consolidation of power and territory resulted in the rise of a few kingdoms and empires. These would continue to quarrel until they further consolidated under one Amar Doutour, ancestor of the mayor of Clock Town during the Hero of Time's time. There was now a power in the west, but most of its efforts were devoted to keeping down peasant uprisings and such, as well as running the large hydraulic state that was needed to run the somewhat fertile plains.

Under King Wilhelm Harkinian I, the races of eastern Farore were united under a single banner. This state, too, would have to devote the majority of its efforts to keeping the peace. This unrest soon erupted in the form of the Great War, a civil war between the Gorons and Shiekah on one side, and the Zora and Gerudo on the other. A peaceful resolution would be brokered by King Harkinian VII, and Hyrule would have peace for some time. This is known as the First Era of Kings. The peace after the war was the period that the Hero of Time lived during. Not much is known about him, or the reason he is called such, other than one legend entitled the Ocarina of Time.

Hylian and Terminian activities led to the population of the other two continents Din and Nayru, and life continued with some tensions during this period. Soon, however, questionable events lead to the only known intervention of the Goddesses, when the Three Divine flooded Hyrule and left only a series of mountaintop islands in all locales. Soon, however, the Goddesses created four new continents for Hylians, Terminians, and other remnants to re-establish themselves on. The Zora changed into the Rito with the aid of Valoo, a spirit who pitied the water-dwellers. The Shiekah emerged from hiding, as did the Gorons and Subrosians. A group of Zora had survived the flood, and was reclaiming the sea.

Shiekah scientists soon discovered gunpowder. The technology remained useful only for demolitions and explosives for much of the reigns of the second wave of kingdoms and duchies. However, the technology did not go overlooked, and cannon were developed towards the end of the Second Era of Kings.

I, iv – Empires and Colonialism

The Hylians were quick to recognize the potential of the new technologies available, and began to intensify research. This caused the Terminians to compete, starting what is now known as the Scientific Revolution. Hylians were the first to develop cannon and mortars, with Terminians soon following. The Gorons then created the first hand cannons (these had actually been invented in the Hero of Time's time, but anymore information of those is lost to time), and a natural progression of firearms technology corresponded with that of Hyrulian species' understanding of the universe.

The state of Hyrule expanded to comprise Courage and Wisdom continents, sending vast loads of emigrants to start colonies in the name of the kingdom. By contrast, the Terminians only managed to control the small continent Time as well as its mainland in Power and various islands in the Great Sea. Terminians had a reputation for brutality in this timeframe, treating colonies and their populations as a source of resources to be over exploited without consequences.

At this point, Hyrule's characters were replaced by Terminian script, making for easier education of the masses. Literacy sharply rose in Hyrule, and the heavy foot of government was reduced. The transition did not have entirely positive effects, however – some words and meanings would be lost to time, and archaeologists would have a difficult time translating text. Magic, being associated with Ancient Hylian, was also lost. The loss of magic meant that Hyrule and Termina were on fairly even footing.

Both empires maintained strong militaries in order to subjugate the colonial populations, although to a varying degree. By this time, an Industrial Revolution was taking place that forever changed the face of the planet. Termina in particular exploited dirty industrial technologies, without the reservation that Hylians had for nature. Thus, Terminian industrial capacity surpassed Hyrule's and with less population.

At the end of the Imperial Era, Hyrule and Termina had both instigated several skirmishes, and relationships had deteriorated to a low point. The stage had been set for war.

I, v – War and Reconciliation

War broke out when it had been revealed that Termina had been siphoning Hylian funds for years through the use of intelligence networks. Navies positioned themselves for the most damage, and armies mobilized. Termina invaded Hyrule, establishing a beachhead in the Hyrulian colony of Valor, located in Courage. Bloody fighting followed, along with a slaughter of Hylian and Shiekah civilians. The Terminians conquered a swath of territory through the continent, taking three separate Hyrulian colonies. By this time, Hyrule had mustered a large part of its adult male population to fight in the war, relying on numbers to win small victories. Finally, at the Battle of Redemption, the tides were turned on Termina through Hyrule's use of airplane technology. Equipped with highly explosive bombs and two small cannons, the dominant fighter/bomber of the Hyrulian Royal Army swept away a large portion of the enemy army.

A rout of Terminian forces followed, with liberation of the continent following shortly thereafter. Time was slowly, brutally conquered by the Hylians, who took no prisoners in the battles for the central mountains. Soon Termina was left only with a few island territories and the continent of Power. Making one last push, Termina secretly moved the largest planetary army ever seen on the face of Hyrule, consisting of every man and woman (a novel concept at the time) who could fight. Both sides dug in, and the isthmus connecting Time and Power became a battleground. Terminian materials science had developed alloys that could withstand repeated bombings and shellings, meaning that the Imperial Legion of Termina could pummel the Hylians with near impunity. Victory was near for Termina, but for a force of Goron and Shiekah auxiliaries sent to the coast near the capital of Termina, New Clock Town. The capital was overrun, but at a cost: the auxiliaries had brutalized the landscape, taking revenge for the destruction that Terminians had imposed on the minorities most of all.

The Imperial Legion was trapped, and the last open conflict on the planet's surface ended with its commander's surrender on the seventh of Blue, roughly one thousand eight hundred years after the time of the Hero.

I, vi – Age of Exploration

Although the planet of Hyrule had been devastated by war, its inhabitants, especially those of overcrowded Wisdom, dreamed of the stars. Increasingly, the abilities of those under the sky expanded until they reached the sky. Once into the void, Hyrule colonized and terraformed the moon Deku. Soon civilization spread to the twin moon Maku. However, unrest was growing. Ideas spread of a people's government, one that would ensure that all had appropriate food and other necessities.

The still large military put down the revolt, costing millions of lives. The resistance was completely cowed, but the deed was done. The industrial capacity of Hyrule had been severely reduced during the revolts, and would take half a century to replace.

Hyrule again expanded, although no suitable planets were found in its system. The decision was made to funnel spending into space exploration craft and interstellar travel. No fruits were born of the latter until about 1960 AH, when a method of stabilizing and creating wormholes was perfected. Soon Hyrule had colonies across the stars, and it seemed nothing could go wrong.

I, vii – Contact

About 1990 AH, first contact was established with the 'Moblins,' creatures which look similar to monsters of Hyrulian lore. Still, relations stayed neutral with them for quite some time. Diplomatic channels were then established with the Keatons, who were somewhat weaker as an empire than the Moblins, but were much friendlier with the Hylians than the Moblins had been. Soon trade and research agreements were passed with the Keatons, and a non-aggression pact was signed.

At this point, Hyrule had a total of 63 colonies, compared to the Moblins' 85 and the Keatons' 51. Most of the colonies were scattered across the Hyrulian bubble, with a few exceptions that would act as forward bases if there were ever a Moblin invasion.

In the meantime, Hyrule poured trilliards of Rupees – about one fifth of its economy – into weapons and armor research. Various products of this massive research drive include a method of mass-manufacturing tantalum carbide-graphite composite armor (known colloquially as Composite-T), advanced mining techniques (such as mantle mining), effective particle beams, and in-system drives (System Drives) that could reach a cruising speed of one AU per hour based on an exotic reactor technology (heavy-metal fusion).

With Hyrule geared for war, the Moblins escalated their already massive spending to an equivalent of several quadrillion Rupees, many times greater than the economy of Hyrule and the Council of Keatons combined. However, Moblins lacked the creative edge of the Hylians, and maintained only a slight edge over the Hylians.

Tensions were mounting, and it seemed that war was again inevitable. The Moblins declared war on Hyrule on the 12th of Green, quickly mobilizing their forces to take out Hyrulian bases. Strangely enough, the destruction of the Moblin fleets and population came about through the use of biological agents by the Keatons. The Council had several colonies located in the space between the two enemies, and feared that those colonies would be requisitioned by one of the two sides, crippling their economy. The Moblins and Hylians never found out, and both the Council and Kingdom quickly expanded into former Moblin territory.

I, viii – The Present

Internal tensions are rising in Hyrule on what to do with the Moblin population that survived the fall of their empire. Mostly, the issue is a cover for ethnic tensions arising because of race. Various anti-government groups have been formed, and government buildings have been bombed. There is a possibility that the colonies will divide themselves along racial boundaries as well. The Hylians are likely the most prepared for conflict; they control the largest manufacturing bases and colonies, and dominate politics. The current Queen of Hyrule, Zelda Harkinian XI, has not yet made any comments on the Moblins, and leaders of the factions of Hyrule have been similarly mute. The Terminians, however, are acquiring their own independent forces, as are the Zora and Gerudo.

Notes: Times are defined as after the creation of Hyrule and after the disappearance of the Hero of Time from Hyrule, and marked AC (After Creation) and AH (After the Hero). This is primarily written from an in-universe point of view. Ask if you have questions, and feel free to tear the writing apart.


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